I’m horrified at Steve Witkoff’s remark

undines, I have been to Russia, and I did speak fairly freely to our guides.
They did acknowledge that the news they received was via State controlled media , and that this made it difficult to be confident about what they were hearing.
Mr Trump has taken on the ICC now.
Do we, or do we not, not want a court that shines a light on war crimes?
If Mr Trump manages to hand over Ukraine to Mr Putin, then I would suggest, respectfully, that, far from "saving us all", he will be empowering Mr Putin to look for his next conquest. Finland might feel a little apprehensive, for example.

The world has turned upside down. Truly frightening that the leader of the US and his bullying cronies wield such power over us all.
Zelensky's name is blackened, systems and hardware are withdrawn leading to more deaths of Ukranian citizens and Trump and Putin discuss ending the Russian invasion between themselves without even consulting Zelensky and the Ukranians.
Were the latest betrayals just to gain the release of the imprisoned US person? Was the diesel deal part of this? Trump is definitely on the side of Putin and it seems nobody can influence him towards justice, no idea of right and wrong, totally immoral person but yet Americans vote for him!

Incursions undine?
Name one.

Not only do I think that Russia has got something on Trump but I also think that Zelensky cooked his goose when he revealed the phone call with Trump regarding going after Biden's son. We all know how Trump responds to people who stand up to him.
Trump has always had an unhealthy respect for Putin and has been friends with Witkoff for many years. They obviously have very skewed thinking which binds them. They are both money driven individuals where nothing is too low to sink to if it earns them money.

I am speechless ...

Doesn't anyone have an open mind? How many of you have met Putin? Or lived in Russia? Or talked to a Russian who lives in Russia? Do you think that 'our side' are incapable of lies and propaganda? Do you realise that arguably NATO. have provoked Putin by their incursions? Do you realise that there's more to Ukraine than meets the eye? Do you not think the Ukrainian people should have a choice about their leader? And finally, do you really want a Third World War, to threaten all our lives, especially those of our children and grandchildren? Do you want to keep poking the bear until it grabs you? Whatever Trump's motives, thank goodness he's made some agreement with Putin, he may (albeit inadvertently) be saving us all!

Maybe Putin has something on Trump. Mmmm, wonder what it could be….

I don't think you need to be born an angel to know the difference between what is right and what is wrong, Monica I am clearly not the sort of person who would stoop to manipulation and dishonesty to get what I want and whilst I am very well aware that some people will, it doesn't stop me calling out their behaviour. It is what every decent person should do. Thankfully, we are now starting to see Republicans willing to state their objections to what Trump and his acolytes are prepared to say and do even when it is clearly not in the interests of the American people. It is about time that people put their principles above profit and their own interests and it's good to see John Ernst, Thom Tillis, John Cornyn and Max Miller (all Republican senators) coming out publicly to criticise Witkoff.

foxie48

If Putin is a humanitarian, Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize! How these people can look at themselves in the mirror in the morning is beyond me, their brains are being eaten up by the lies they tell. Putin has finally released an American from prison this man was living in Ukraine when Putin started his war so the Russians put him in prison when he was guilty of absolutely nothing!!

Why should these people fear looking at themselves? Just because you would not do something doesn't mean that another wouldn't.

Some people are naturally mmanipulative, others would do absolutel anythingto obyain power or be near the top.

e are not all born angels.

Ha!

Trump, Putin and Netanyahu - a very unholy Trinity of, er, 'humanitarians'........

Fallingstar

Oh I don’t know Dickens, your analysis sounds pretty good, but it keeps coming back to one thing for me. Voters in the US voted this man in twice, when he shouldn’t even have passed muster to deliver newspapers. Every business he entered into usually failed. He is not leadership material. In fact he should never work with people. Or speak where others can hear him.
But he is the president of the US and so causing monumental damage around the world.
How did it happen?
Why do voters think this man is worth voting for?
I find this more incredible than if an alien came down to earth and shook hands with me.

Voters in the US voted this man in twice

I know - that's what confounds me Fallingstar.

I'm left thinking, what do they see that I don't - or what do I see that they don't.

I've listened to people - mostly men - defending Trump's 'history' with young women and his predatory behaviour towards them - the defence is along the lines of 'any-man-would-if-he-got-the-chance', and I've mentioned the T-shirts worn by some middle-aged women at his rallies sporting the words, "You Can Grab My Pussy Any Time Mr President".

I feel I'm living in a parallel universe - I even question my own ethics... maybe I take things too seriously? Or are these people just adopting this dismissive attitude knowing full well that these are unacceptable traits, because Trump is giving them what they want?

I've listened to some 'MAGA-minded' evangelical preachers - one of whom allegedly 'advises' Pete Hegseth - preach a sort of hell-fire and damnation on 'wimmin' who espouse Feminism, telling his congregation that a woman's place is purely to support her husband who she basically should obey, and never "run her mouth". One such preacher was almost hysterical in condemning women who reported their abusive husbands to the police - "you are in the wrong, you are the evil one" he shouted... and then went on to assure the men in the room that if they were ever accused of assault of a woman wearing provocative clothing (he considered shorts provocative) and he was on the jury then "let me tell you, you're gonna walk free, you're gonna walk free" because, as he said, in a pleading drawl, "a man's a man, a man's a man".

I'm not making this up, this is what some of these 'pastors' are preaching in the name of the American Right.

Ironically, this attitude towards women is not all that far removed from that of a culture they profess to hate but, as one 'preacher-man' said, "maybe Muslims have the right idea, eh?". And the mixed audience cheered him.

I've simply got to believe that they don't all hold these or similar views, surely...

Maybe Attwood knew more than she let on.

I always thought Vlad and Don were mates, this just confirms it.

Nothing surprises me any more . Have we ever had a time before when the POTUS is on the news every day? And never for anything good.

Oh I don’t know Dickens, your analysis sounds pretty good, but it keeps coming back to one thing for me. Voters in the US voted this man in twice, when he shouldn’t even have passed muster to deliver newspapers. Every business he entered into usually failed. He is not leadership material. In fact he should never work with people. Or speak where others can hear him.
But he is the president of the US and so causing monumental damage around the world.
How did it happen?
Why do voters think this man is worth voting for?
I find this more incredible than if an alien came down to earth and shook hands with me.

valdali

Sarnia

Poor President Zelensky. He is asking for a meeting but he will never get a fair hearing.
I suppose the American was released as a thank you for the fuel deal.

released to help Trump with the mid-terms?

An easy way to try & influence USA voters. No wonder Russia invested in trying to get Trump elected, he must have surpassed their highest hopes.

I maintain that Trump is entirely shaped by his upbringing. It's widely understood that his father instilled his own brand of toughness on Donald and his siblings who were encouraged to be "killers" or "kings" in business and, allegedly, viewed traits like empathy, kindness or apologising, as weaknesses. The older brother I read sometime ago wanted to become an airline pilot, apparently, rather than enter the family property business, and was ridiculed for his 'weakness'.

I don't want to indulge in psycho-babble, however - maybe that's where Donald Trump learned to gain approval - by emulating his father's scorn and contempt for anything and anybody that didn't fit into the all-encompassing need to 'win' at all costs. It could explain his seemingly extremely fragile ego and the need for constant admiration and approval?

In which case, his unsuitability to be one of the most powerful men in the world, is really down to his inner circle of backers and supporters who must, surely, be aware of his almost pathological 'disposition'?

These are just my random thoughts, and purely subjective.

Sarnia

Poor President Zelensky. He is asking for a meeting but he will never get a fair hearing.
I suppose the American was released as a thank you for the fuel deal.

released to help Trump with the mid-terms?

An easy way to try & influence USA voters. No wonder Russia invested in trying to get Trump elected, he must have surpassed their highest hopes.

Ironic that you can kid people who were once so damning and fearful of "commies" and socialists - still viewed with disgust by many - that "Put'n" is now their ally and even that "Yurup" is the enemy.

runing not mining 😡

Has this got something to do with President Putin releasing the 74 year old American Stephen Hubbard?

He has been in prison in Russia for the last four years, for allegedly mining a checkpoint in Ukraine.

Aveline

Surely, surely the mid term elections should mark Trump's card? He's a traitor to humanity and Putin is simply inhuman.

My guess is Trump has done a deal with the devil and thrown the Ukraine and Europe under the bus in order for Putin to negotiate with ally Iran to agree to end the war thereby allowing Trump to take all the credit as a peacemaker who has struck the deal in order to ensure that Americans pay less at the pumps.
But Putin will expect his pound of flesh so Ukraine and other European countries should be worried.
Of course Trump is hoping this will happen in time for the midterms.
Will Putin oblige??
We can only wait and see.

Surely, surely the mid term elections should mark Trump's card? He's a traitor to humanity and Putin is simply inhuman.

There can be no question now that Trump supports Putin. I worry very much what this will mean for Europe.

Apologies on incorrect spelling, it is as you say Witkoff 👍

Hello Marydoll good to see you here too 👋

Fallingstar

Bloody hell!!
Excuse the French.
Never thought I would see this day.
I think we can all now establish who Trump’s latest bro romance is with. Seems the US no longer sees Russia as the enemy but rather an ally which leaves the Ukraine and Europe as the enemy. Because he can’t jump in bed with both and it looks like his decision has been made.
So now Europe lies exposed to Putin’s expansionist ideas. Correction, Europe lies exposed to this ‘humanitarian’s expansionist ideas.
🤬🤬🤬

👍👍👏👏👏👏

Marydoll

Putin is a war criminal, no other way to describe him.

Nan Kate, I was thinking about you this morning, what a coincidence.
So pleased to see you posting.

I agree